Three generations are winning bowlers

Connie and Joe Adcock have been bowling for many years are very pleased to see their children and granddaughter also becoming prize-winning bowlers.

Bev Darrbev.darr@couierpost.com

Connie and Joe Adcock have been bowling for many years are very pleased to see their children and granddaughter also becoming prize-winning bowlers.

Ten Pin Alleys owner Ron Melson reported three generations of the family recently won prizes in their leagues, including 5-year-old Carly Golian, their granddaughter. She won a first-place trophy in the Roll N Grow League, and also the “most improved average” trophy.

Carly’s parents, Candy (Adcock) and John Golian II, first met at the bowling alley when they were young, Candy said. However, they did not date until she was a high school senior.

She explained their first date. “We bowled against each other, and he said if he beat me I had to go on a date with him. Needless to say, I lost.”

Now they bowl in men’s and women’s leagues and once a year together in a sweetheart tournament, and John has the higher average.

Candy recalled her very first game, at about age 8, when she bowled a zero game, and now “I carry the highest average for the women in Hannibal” with a 185 average.

This year Connie, her daughter Candy and daughter-in-law, Kristen Adcock, won first place in the Monday Night Ladies league. Kristen also won “most improved average” in her league.

Joe and his son-in-law, John Golian, won first place in the Tuesday Sportsman League and Joe took first place in the Friday Coed League. Joe and Connie are officers in their leagues.

Joe, Connie and Candy all recommended bowling as a fun family sport. Candy said, “it’s just good old-fashioned fun – something you can do together, and it’s not very expensive. I wish more parents would get their kids involved in it. … It’s something you can do for quite a few years.”

Ten Pin Alleys is like home to her, she said. “You are like a family there. We grew up at the bowling alley, and my kids are growing up there.” Now her friends’ children are bowling with Carly. She and John also have a 2-year-old son, Trey.

Candy said Melson does a good job of helping youngsters learn. “He is very, very good with the children. He goes lane to lane and individually teaches them, encourages them and helps them.”

Joe learned from

Pollard, Glover

Joe began bowling at about age 10, 45 years ago, and now has an average of 195. He reported “bowling is kinda a dying sport, and we are excited because we won.” He does not encourage young bowlers to be competitive, but to “just go out there and have fun.”

Joe said he is lucky because he learned from some real good bowlers, such as Earl Pollard and Bill Glover. “They would give me tips. Now I try to help the younger ones, if they ask.”

Another well-remembered local bowler is the late Carolyn Gilbert, Joe said, who is in the Missouri Hall of Fame.

“She helped my kids when they were little,” Joe added. “Carolyn was one of the fixtures in town for the young bowlers.”

Joe said he is not competitive with Candy but is more so with his son, Ryan Adcock, whose job prevented him from competing during the past season. “He has a competitive nature, and I don’t want him beating me,” Joe said. “But it’s more about having fun and keeping everybody happy.

“I just want to see bowling be around for awhile for our great-grandkids and see Carly be able to bowl with her mom and grandma and aunt when she gets older.”

Connie agreed that bowling is family fun, adding that, “through the years a lot of the older bowlers who are gone now have taught me there is a lot more to bowlng than just knocking down pins.

“There is a lot of camaraderie. … a lot of fellowship. You get to know a lot of people. And (as a league officer) you learn to run business meetings.”

Connie hopes to have Carly join her, Candy and Kristen on the same team someday.

Food is served at the bowling alley, Connie said, so when your league bowls, you don’t have to worry about meals.

She is friends with people on all the teams, she added. “You get to know the other bowlers. We have 13 teams and it rotates around, so you are not bowling against the same people every week.

“The good thing about bowling is it doesn’t matter how old you are. … We have a bowler, Geri Riney, in her 80s and still bowling.”